Bangladesh to remove Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s image from currency notes: Report

According to the central bank, new designs for the Taka 20, 100, 500, and 1,000 notes are being developed under instructions from the interim administration.

“The new notes will not feature the image of ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” the report stated, citing Bangladesh Bank sources.

Instead, the notes will highlight religious landmarks, Bengali cultural motifs, and graffiti from the uprising. “We hope to release the new notes into circulation within six months,” said Husneara Shikha, Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank.

Officials from the central bank and the Ministry of Finance confirmed that Mujibur Rahman’s image will be removed from existing notes as well. The redesign process will begin with four denominations and gradually extend to other notes. The Finance Ministry’s Finance Institute Division submitted a detailed design proposal in September.

Mujibur Rahman’s legacy, as the Father of the Nation, has faced significant criticism since the protests, which initially began over a controversial job quota. Statues and murals bearing his image were targeted during the unrest as Hasina fled to India, where she is reportedly still in exile.

Meanwhile, in her first public address after the ouster, Hasina on Wednesday accused Muhammad Yunus of failing to protect minorities, including Hindus. Her comments were labelled as “hate speech” by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal, while Yunus’s government has claimed that a smear campaign is being waged against it.